Sam from Castle Rock writes, “What's driving you crazy? Why did CDOT build 2 right turn only lanes from E. Allen Way onto Westbound Founders/I-25 interchange where the right turn lane is forced onto the northbound highway ramp? There is no signage or lane markers to signal to drivers to turn into the 2 left lanes on Founders so that drivers aren't forced on to I-25 in the third lane. It's dangerous as people from the left and right lanes on Founders are trying to move into the center lane. People move from the left most lane to the middle as traffic backs up over the highway bridge for anyone wanting to turn right into the light at the outlets then 2 lanes of people turning right off of Allen way are also trying to use that same middle lane. it's awful on a Saturday.”
There is no doubt, Sam, that the traffic on a weekend is awful right there. The intersection of Founders Parkway and Allen Way is one of the busiest in Castle Rock. It has been two years since the town of Castle Rock, in partnership with CDOT, improved the access from westbound Founders Parkway to Allen Way and to the ramp to northbound I-25.
A couple of goals of the project was to add a dedicated right turn lane from Founders Parkway to Allen Way, add an additional southbound right turn lane from Allen Way to westbound Founders Parkway and add an additional I-25 northbound on-ramp lane. It is that additional I-25 ramp lane that can cause some confusion for drivers.
CDOT says the tricky part of the design is due to the extremely short distance between Allen Way and the I-25 northbound ramp. They say the dual-right turn was installed to help right turning traffic from Allen Way to merge left if the driver wanted to continue west over the bridge on Meadows Parkway.
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The signing in the area is pretty good. The far-right lane on westbound Founders has dotted white lines on the pavement that indicate to the driver that the through lane will becomes a mandatory exit or turn lane. There are painted markings on the roadway indicating the far-right lane is an exit only lane. There are additional signs on the overhead pole at Allen Way as well as huge overhead sign just west of Allen Way before the I-25 northbound ramp.
The traffic lights on Allen Way prohibit a right turn on red to reduce the crash risk and to allow for drivers to access either westbound Founders Parkway or northbound I-25. CDOT says the signing and markings on Allen Way are maintained by the Town of Castle Rock. Traffic engineers tell me they will continue to coordinate with town engineers to explore means of improving guidance for the area.
Denver7 traffic anchor Jayson Luber says he has been covering Denver-metro traffic since Ben-Hur was driving a chariot. (We believe the actual number is over 20 years.) He's obsessed with letting viewers know what's happening on their drive and the best way to avoid the problems that spring up. Follow him on Facebook,Twitter or Instagram or listen to his Driving You Crazy podcast on iTunes , Stitcher , Google Play or Podbean.
